Pro Bono Perspectives

The True Purpose of Business with Judy Samuelson

Joining us this Global Volunteer Month is Judy Samuelson, Vice President at The Aspen Institute and Executive Director of its Business and Society Program. A leading voice on the alignment of business and purpose, Judy has published influential works on companies’ duty to society and how they can create true, sustainable social change. She and host Danielle Holly discuss the state of CSR and its future post-pandemic, CEO pay and income inequity, employees as a force for good, and why trust is crucial to a company’s success. Judy also shares highlights from her new book, “The Six New Rules of Business: Creating Real Value in a Changing World,” which explores how major shifts in expectations for the private sector are prompting companies to reevaluate their definitions of success and transform the way they operate. Visit aspeninstitute.org and judysamuelson.com to learn more.

April 6, 2021

35 min

The State of Service & Civic Engagement in NYC

NYC Chief Service Officer Anusha Venkataraman leads NYC Service, a division of the Mayor’s Office that builds nonprofit and corporate partnerships to advance lifelong civic engagement through volunteer and service programs. Anusha shares that even though COVID-19 put constraints on in-person volunteering, the City still saw an increased interest in service this past year. According to the most recent NYC Civic Engagement Survey, 52.8% of New Yorkers volunteer either formally or informally. Anusha encourages us to adopt a broader view of service, one that recognizes the many ways - big and small - that people show up for their communities every day. She also shares about the City’s racial inclusion and equity work and how she and her colleagues are dismantling problematic systems and building more equitable ones that create true, transformative change. Visit nycservice.org to learn more about initiatives and resources including the NYC Civic Engagement Survey, NYC Volunteers Count, the NYC Corporate Volunteer Council, and the Mayoral Service Recognition Awards.

March 23, 2021

35 min

Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Leaders

Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Sally Holmes joins host Danielle Holly for a peek behind the scenes at the iconic brand, including insights into the new topics and editorial direction they’re taking on and a closer look at some of the powerful women making headlines in the US and around the world. Sally shares her take on Marie Claire’s role in progressing diversity, equity, civic engagement, and a transformation of the publishing industry, as well as her commitment to engaging and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Visit marieclaire.com for the latest stories on everything from fashion and culture to politics and activism.

March 9, 2021

38 min

Diversity, Equity, and the Future of Volunteering

Jerome Tennille, Manager of Social Impact & Volunteerism at Marriott International, joins host Danielle Holly for a dynamic conversation on the state of volunteering and employee engagement. Jerome shares how Marriott, a major figure in the hospitality industry that was hit so hard by COVID-19, has reimagined service for the current moment by taking it online, but also his perspective that the future of volunteering is not virtual. From his viewpoint as the leader of his own social impact consultancy, Jerome shares powerful insights on the need for greater diversity and equity in the nonprofit sector at the professional, leadership, and volunteer levels. Plus, he addresses systemic power imbalances between companies and the nonprofits they volunteer with and how we can right them. To learn more about Jerome’s work, visit marriott.com/marriott/aboutmarriott.mi and jerometennille.com.

February 23, 2021

41 min

Stepping Up for Young Women of Color

In our first episode of Black History Month 2021, host Danielle Holly speaks with Delores Morton, CEO of Step Up, a mentorship nonprofit that supports girls in fulfilling their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women. About half of girls who start the program are not on track to graduate high school, but with Step Up’s mentorship, over 98% do. Delores shares what makes Step Up’s mentorship model successful, why it’s important for girls to have career role models that look like them, and how women and companies can step up to support young girls and foster a more diverse workforce. Delores also reflects on the joy and burden of being a role model for girls and women of color and the need for volunteerism and community to be integrated into daily life, not separate from it. To learn more about Step Up and how you or your company can make a difference, visit suwn.org.

February 9, 2021

32 min

Building Back Better in 2021

United Way Worldwide Senior Director of Volunteer & Employee Engagement Mei Cobb reveals how her organization is pivoting amidst COVID-19’s significant disruptions to volunteering and the first responder organizations that provide vital services relating to hunger, housing, domestic violence, and more. The world’s largest privately funded nonprofit, United Way supports the health, education, and financial stability of 48 million people annually and has continued to do so during the pandemic by embracing virtual volunteering. Mei shares how her upbringing influenced her career in service (she previously spent 15 years with Points of Light), the strategies her team and partners employed to keep supporting communities through COVID-19, and how they’ve maintained strong engagement remotely. Recorded in advance of MLK Day, Mei and Danielle's conversation also includes reflections on the civil rights leader's legacy of service, the future of volunteerism, and the trends they expect to see going forward, from hybrid in-person and virtual models of volunteerism to a continued focus on serving locally. The pandemic has disrupted all aspects of life and work, but it’s also given us an opportunity to build back better with an increased focus on equity, inclusion, and unity. To learn more about United Way Worldwide, visit unitedway.org

January 26, 2021

28 min

The Existential Crisis We Need

Vu Le of the NonprofitAF blog and formerly Rainer Valley Corps joins host Danielle Holly for the Season 3 premiere of Pro Bono Perspectives. Recorded the day after the violent insurrection on the Capitol, Vu and Danielle discuss how the nonprofit sector can and must be bolder in responding to injustices like this. Philanthropy has become the white moderate Martin Luther King, Jr. famously warned us about in his “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” and we must get out of our own way if we are to address the true roots of systemic inequity, not just the symptoms. An expert in nonprofit capacity building, Vu explains that while necessary and widely underfunded, capacity building has actually been harming – not helping – many organizations, especially those that are BIPOC-led. It’s time for an existential crisis in philanthropy, Vu declares. Time to reject harmful funding practices and flawed approaches to capacity building. Time to move beyond sharing power to releasing it so that underrepresented and marginalized groups can take the helm and lead in creating transformational change. For more of Vu's words of wisdom on the nonprofit sector, philanthropy, and CSR, visit his blog, NonprofitAF.com.

January 12, 2021

33 min

Reflections on a Challenging, Clarifying, Transformative Year

"There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen’s famous words were a source of comfort for host Danielle Holly – and many of us in the social impact field – during this difficult year. In our Season 2 finale, Danielle reflects on the challenging moments we lived through, from COVID-19 to a divisive election to the brutal murders of Black Americans and racial justice reckoning that followed. Danielle highlights some of the most moving experiences and advice our guests shared in 2020 and why she is optimistic for the new year, one that we hope sees more resilient, equitable, and connected communities than ever before. Featured in this episode are clips from episodes with Natalye Paquin, Points of Light; Ngozi Okaro, Custom Collaborative; Tom Crohan, John Hancock; Chris Tyson, Build Baton Rouge; Edgar Villanueva, Schott Foundation; and Gregg Betheil, PENCIL.

December 21, 2020

24 min

Cross-Sector Collaboration for Racial Justice

Tom Crohan, Vice President & Counsel, Corporate Responsibility & Government Relations at John Hancock, joins host Danielle Holly to talk Skills for Cities and John Hancock’s response to COVID-19, racial injustice, and social inequity. John Hancock co-hosted this year’s Skills for Cities day of cross-sector collaboration aimed at supporting racial justice and BIPOC-led nonprofits amidst the dual pandemic of racism and COVID-19. Having participated in Skills for Cities as a volunteer himself, Tom comments on the diversity of backgrounds and location the virtual environment enabled, as well as how the diversity of thought at the table made it an even more powerful instance of combining strengths to do good for communities in need. Tom and Danielle discuss the urgency in addressing not just COVID-19, but racial justice and systemic social issues too, and the need to maintain that momentum. He shares how John Hancock doubled down on its MLK Scholars program to connect Boston teens with jobs in the nonprofit sector and how they and their partners made it work virtually so young people could still have access to important opportunities to succeed during this difficult time. Tom and Danielle also discuss more broadly the strain COVID-19 has put on the nonprofit sector, the imbalanced “K-shaped” recovery we’re already seeing, and the importance of humility, balanced power dynamics, and true collaboration in order to achieve the impact all sectors want to see. To learn more about John Hancock’s services, CSR initiatives, and community engagement programs, visit johnhancock.com/index.html.

December 8, 2020

42 min

Innovation & People-Centered Design for a More Just Tomorrow

Shalu Umapathy, Managing Director of New Ventures at IDEO.org, shares how her organization creates a more just and inclusive world through people-centered design. As the nonprofit arm of the innovation and design firm by the same name, IDEO.org partners with organizations to pioneer new ways of working and builds tools that help millions of people learn and practice human-centered design. Shalu explores what innovation means in the nonprofit sector in the context of COVID-19, how to make it stick in the long term, and how her team sees it as a path toward diversity, equity, and inclusion. Visit IDEO.org to learn more about people-centered design and their philanthropic and humanitarian work.

November 24, 2020

26 min

Decolonizing Wealth: Equity in Philanthropy and Beyond

Edgar Villanueva is a Senior Vice President at the Schott Foundation and the award-winning author of Decolonizing Wealth, a bestselling book offering hopeful and compelling alternatives to the dynamics of colonization in the philanthropic and social finance sectors. Edgar was named a 2020 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. In this episode, Edgar unpacks the phrase “decolonizing wealth” on a macro level and as it applies to philanthropy specifically. He addresses several important critiques of philanthropy head on, such as the common disconnects between missions and where money actually goes, low endowment payouts, reluctance to embrace unrestricted funding models, and dominant white culture crowding out diverse ideas and experiences. Edgar’s return to Indigenous values and wisdom now guides his career, which is dedicated to leveraging philanthropy to do transformative work, end racial inequity and injustice, and spread truth. To learn more about Edgar’s work, visit schottfoundation.org and decolonizingwealth.com.

November 10, 2020

42 min

Building Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous Cities

Chris Tyson, President & CEO of Build Baton Rouge, joins host Danielle Holly to share about the redevelopment authority’s mission to bring together people and resources to promote equitable investment, innovative development, and thriving communities across Baton Rouge. Like many places, Baton Rouge is a tale of two cities, marked by economic disparity and racial and spatial stratification as the result of decades of race-based housing and transportation policy. Chris explains why a lens of equity and a deep understanding of the community are essential for overcoming the consequences of these discriminatory policies and enabling communities to succeed. Skills-based volunteering and capacity building are also crucial in the fight for equity, something Chris experienced firsthand when Build Baton Rouge partnered with JPMorgan Chase on a pro bono project that contributed toward the revitalization of Plank Road, one of the city’s most blighted commercial corridors. To learn more about Chris’s organization, equitable urban planning, and community development, visit buildbatonrouge.org.

October 27, 2020

33 min

DEI for a New Era of Social & Racial Justice

Wendy John, the new Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion at Fidelity Investments, joins host Danielle Holly to discuss the rapid growth in corporate DEI positions in the past several years and the added urgency these programs have taken on in 2020. Wendy explains why DEI is a necessity – not a “nice to have,” the challenges and opportunities her work presents, and the ways in which Fidelity has enhanced its social impact work, like expanding its Impact Week skills-based volunteering initiative and dedicating it to supporting racial justice and BIPOC-led nonprofits. Wendy also reflects on the 10th anniversary of Fidelity’s Aspire employee resource group (ERG) for Black and Latinx employees and how the company created an environment that fostered it to grow from a group of just 50 to 5,000 strong. To learn more about Fidelity, its DEI work, and Impact Week, visit fidelity.com.

October 13, 2020

27 min

Fashioning a Pathway to Success and Equity

Custom Collaborative Executive Director Ngozi Okaro joins Danielle Holly to discuss nonprofit management during times of crisis. Earlier this year when COVID-19 first hit New York, Custom Collaborative, a workforce development nonprofit that prepares women from immigrant and low-income communities for careers in fashion, partnered with Common Impact and S&P Global for a skills-based volunteering project. Ngozi tells the story of this collaboration, how she made the time and space to focus on capacity-building, and how Custom Collaborative successfully pivoted its fashion industry trainings and career readiness programs to virtual when the pandemic began. To learn more, visit customcollaborative.org.

September 29, 2020

31 min

Closing the Digital Divide in Education

Dana Castro, HP’s Worldwide Education Manager, and Justin van Fleet, Executive Director of GBC-Education, join us as we continue our exploration of the digital divide and education equity. We're in the midst of a back-to-school season where many children - over 17 million(!) - can't even participate in the new virtual education environment due to lack of access to computers or sufficient Internet. Hear Dana and Justin share how HP and GBC-Education are combining their talents and resources to ensure all children have access to quality education, plus how other companies, nonprofits, and public sector institutions can be part of the movement to close the digital divide. Visit hp.com/us/en and gbc-education.org to learn more.

September 15, 2020

43 min

Back-to-School – For Some: Virtual Education and the Deepening Digital Divide

Gregg Betheil is President of PENCIL, a NYC-based education nonprofit that brings together business partners and educators to develop strategies that disrupt current college and career readiness outcomes and help public school students succeed. Gregg joins host Danielle Holly for a conversation on back-to-school amidst the continuing pandemic, virtual education, and the deepening digital divide that is preventing millions of students from continuing their schooling. Gregg shares how PENCIL is stepping up to ensure NYC public school students have the opportunities they need to succeed, how the organization pivoted to virtual when COVID-19 first closed schools and office buildings, and what the future of education may hold, both in the next few months and after the pandemic has passed. Visit pencil.org to learn more.

September 1, 2020

30 min

The Case for Optimism during COVID-19

Ami Dar is the Founder & Executive Director of Idealist.org, the top resource for finding jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities with nonprofit organizations. In this episode, Ami joins host Danielle Holly for a conversation on how COVID-19 has impacted the private and social sectors – and why not everything should go back to the way it was. From more flexible hiring processes and work environments to more inclusive conferences and less business travel and pollution, work culture is evolving, and it’s giving us hope for the future. Hear how Idealist has embraced change not only this year but throughout its 25-year history, plus insights on nonprofit hiring and volunteerism since March. Visit idealist.org for nonprofit job openings, volunteer opportunities, and more ways to do good in your community.

August 18, 2020

36 min

How COVID-19 is Hurting Working Women

Host Danielle Holly is joined by Balaji Ganapathy, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Social Responsibility Officer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of the largest technology firms in the world. Balaji works at the intersection of technology and social impact with a special focus on impacting women and girls, minorities and other underrepresented groups. He and Danielle discuss the impact of COVID-19 on women in the workforce, the future of CSR in the context of current economic downturn and how TCS's volunteering and mentoring programs are helping young people of all backgrounds build careers in technology. To learn more about Tata Consultancy Services, visit tcs.com/worldwide.

August 4, 2020

36 min

Fighting Harmful Paradigms in the Nonprofit Sector

Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), joins host Danielle Holly to discuss the fundamental improvements that need to be made to how money is given and used in the social sector. NFF believes in the power of improved access to capital and credit to help overcome the systemic financial challenges nonprofits face, which disproportionately affect communities of color. Antony shares how NFF makes this a reality through loans and advocacy work, as well as how the organization is guiding nonprofits through the COVID-19 economic crisis. To learn more about social sector funding and the Nonprofit Finance Fund's work, visit nff.org.

July 21, 2020

44 min

What Drives Young People to Act on Social Issues?

Derrick Feldmann, Managing Director of Ad Council Edge and INFLUENCE|SG, has devoted his career to unpacking why and how young people choose to engage with social issues, as well as how the topics they care about influence companies’ CSR and marketing strategies. Listen as he and host Danielle Holly discuss what’s in store for brand engagement in social issues in the context of COVID-19 and how to tell when a company is authentically supporting a cause versus what’s just “good marketing.” To learn more about Derrick’s work, visit adcouncil.org/the-edge or causeandsocialinfluence.com where you’ll find data on youth activism, including a three-part research series on young Americans’ actions related to COVID-19. Look out for Derrick’s brand-new book, The Corporate Social Mind, out now!

July 7, 2020

39 min

About this podcast

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About this podcast

Categories

Pro Bono Perspectives

Episodes

The True Purpose of Business with Judy Samuelson

The State of Service & Civic Engagement in NYC

Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Leaders

Diversity, Equity, and the Future of Volunteering

Stepping Up for Young Women of Color

Building Back Better in 2021

The Existential Crisis We Need

Reflections on a Challenging, Clarifying, Transformative Year

Cross-Sector Collaboration for Racial Justice

Innovation & People-Centered Design for a More Just Tomorrow

Decolonizing Wealth: Equity in Philanthropy and Beyond

Building Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous Cities

DEI for a New Era of Social & Racial Justice

Fashioning a Pathway to Success and Equity

Closing the Digital Divide in Education

Back-to-School – For Some: Virtual Education and the Deepening Digital Divide

The Case for Optimism during COVID-19

How COVID-19 is Hurting Working Women

Fighting Harmful Paradigms in the Nonprofit Sector

What Drives Young People to Act on Social Issues?